The first woman to purchase a seat on the New York Stock Exchange (1967) and to own a NYSE member brokerage firm, Muriel Siebert and Co., Inc., Muriel Siebert was pictured in 1997 by Laura Levy of the Wall Street Journal for an article describing her efforts to reinvigorate her discount brokerage firm. Siebert's gentle but confident appearance, with bobbed hair and pearl necklace may belie her business toughness-as superintendent of banking under New York Governor Hugh Carey, she once joked that "superintendent of banking" has the acronym "S.O.B." for good reason.

However, for all her ambition and success, foremost among Siebert's concerns is "giving back." In 1997, she helped launch Siebert Brandford Shank and Company, a joint venture with Napoleon Brandford and Suzanne Shank. According to Siebert "The idea of creating SBS is important, the only women and minority business in the whole industry." As a female pioneer on Wall Street, Siebert has encountered the obstacles of antisemitism and sexism. Yet despite such challenges, she has thrived. "I like what I'm doing. I'm a role model-there's not that many women in business. . . . I have personal freedom. If I don't think something's right, I don't have to go into a senior partner and say, 'May I.' That means a lot to me."